In an article entitled "School Report Cards: Are New York City Schools Really Nearly Perfect?" the Brooklyn Eagle discusses the quite incredible improvements the majority of the City's schools have made in their recently released school “report cards.”
Eighty percent of New York City’s schools received A’s or B’s on this year’s second annual School Progress Reports, the Eagle says. "Many schools made dramatic – if not unbelievable – progress, transforming in just one year from low-ranked or failing schools to A and B schools."
Then there's P.S. 8 in Brooklyn Heights, the elementary school that really has been transforming itself into one of the most desirable schools in District 13.
The kids scored above average on the state tests -- but because P.S. 8 students didn't show as much individual improvement as other schools' students, P.S. 8 received an "F."
PS 8's grade was determined in part by comparing the kids' test score improvement to a "peer group," a problematic concept for a school still in transition. The Brooklyn Heights Blog notices that "the list of schools considered 'peers' to PS 8 has changed from last year, with some added and some placed in other 'peer' groups.
We've been told by P.S. 8 parents that Principal Phillips doesn't go in for massive test prep, preferring to use the time for subjects like music and art.
In the next year or two P.S. 8's scores will probably rise as the children who entered the school after Phillips was appointed grow to testing age.
But will Principal Phillips still be at P.S. 8? Parents worry that the Mayor will fire him if he refuses to "teach to the test." Will a private school snatch him up so fast our heads will spin?
Stay tuned.
- Brooklyn Heights P.S. 8 Caught in DOE Statistical Nightmare
- Brooklyn Heights' P.S. 8 Gets Its Porta-Classroom
- Put Middle School in Brooklyn Heights' P.S. 8, Says Yassky
- Brooklyn Heights' Booming P.S. 8 to Get a New Building
Photo by MK Metz
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Thursday, September 18, 2008
New York City's 'Nearly Perfect' Schools vs. Brooklyn's P.S. 8
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2 comments:
Hi mcBrooklyn. I like ps8, but This cant be about one educator.
Instead, isnt it interesting that the same people and orgs in charge of the school system (and they want to stay incharge btw) are also the people who grade the system???
If you want to get good grades...give yourself good grades.
( oh, and you get to pay yourself and your friends at doe 150k/year+ to grade yourself--nice work)
in My opinion, klein is an elitist paperpusher who, in a years times, will give himself an A.
Klein is a lawyer; the man who invented the report card system is a law professor. The person who replaced Carmen Farina is a lawyer. Where are the educators?
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